Background Check Lawsuit Reaches Settlement

Written By ESR News Blog Editor Thomas Ahearn

A settlement has been reached in a class action lawsuit that claimed a background check firm violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) when providing information for background check reports, according to a report from TopClassActions.com. As a result, subjects of these background check reports may be eligible to claim $1,500 or $40 from the settlement.

According to the website GISRobinsonSettlement.com, the Plaintiff, Kerry Robinson, claimed that the Defendant, General Information Services Inc. (GIS), violated the FCRA when preparing background check reports by:

• Reporting expunged criminal records.
• Providing reports to employers containing public record information likely to have an adverse effect up on the consumer’s employment but without providing notice to the consumer of such reporting at the time that GIS provided the report.

The website states the two potential Classes of the background check class action lawsuit settlement who could be awarded either $1,500 or $40 include:

• “1681e Settlement Class” – Consumers who on or after December 22, 2009 but on or before March 1, 2014 were the subject of an employment background check that contained expunged criminal records. If the Court approves the settlement, a check in an amount of approximately $1,500 will be mailed to members of this Class.  (NOTICE OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT for “1681e Settlement Class”)
• “1681k Settlement Class” – Consumers who on or after December 22, 2009 but on or before March 1, 2014 were the subject of an employment background check that contained public record information but to whom GIS either did not or may not have placed notice into the U.S. mail informing the consumer that GIS had reported public record information likely to have an adverse effect upon the consumer’s employment on the same day that GIS furnished the report to the end-user. If the Court approves the settlement, a check in an amount of approximately $40 will be mailed to members of this Class. (NOTICE OF CLASS ACTION SETTLEMENT for “1681k Settlement Class”)

The background check class action lawsuit settlement website also states that GIS “has denied all claims in the Lawsuit and contends that it acted lawfully and in compliance with the FCRA at all times. Despite denying liability and wrongdoing, the Defendant has decided it is in its best interest to settle the Lawsuit to avoid the burden, expense, risk, and uncertainty of continuing the Litigation.”

The Court will hold a fairness hearing on November 3, 2014. Class members will automatically receive a settlement check in the mail if the background check class action settlement is approved unless they exclude themselves by September 4, 2014. The background check class action lawsuit settlement website is available at http://www.gisrobinsonsettlement.com/.

The full case name is Robinson v. General Information Services Inc., Case No. 2:11-cv-07782-PBT, in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. The TopClassAction.com report about the background check class action lawsuit settlement is available at http://www.topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/open-lawsuit-settlements/35569-gis-background-check-class-action-settlement/.

Background Check Lawsuit News from ESR

For more ESR News blogs about background check lawsuits, please visit https://www.esrcheck.com/wordpress/tag/class-action-lawsuits/.